Columbus North returned back to full strength for the sectional round after missing two of its top three golfers due to injury in the past month.
Seniors Brady Schneider and Joseph Perkins both missed a little bit of time due to hand injuries and missed a couple matches. Both will be key if the Bull Dogs want to qualify for state when they play in Thursday’s Providence Regional at Champions Pointe in Henryville.
Brady Schneider
Schneider had to get three stitches in his hand and came back a little more than a week later. He credits his grandfather Larry Schneider, who is a doctor, for helping him in his speedy recovery. Brady Schneider said he injured his hand while cutting the old grips off his golf club to replace them with newer grips.
After he swung the club for the first time after the injury, it looked like Schneider hadn’t missed a beat. In his first match back, Schneider posted a 1-under-par 69 at the Greensburg Sectional Friday at Greensburg Country Club for the individual medalist honors.
“I was ready to fire. I was ready to play,” Schneider said. “I put in a lot of work this week, and I was ready (Friday), for sure.”
Perkins cut his finger on his golf bag. The cut was on top of the front part of his knuckle.
“Anytime that I would swing the club, it would open back up. I couldn’t even grip the golf club,” Perkins said. “I had to take a few weeks off, and then I had to jump right back into it.”
Perkins shot an 82 at Friday’s sectional, but said he is still getting back into the swing of it and hopes to show it on the scoreboard Thursday.
“It’s just one of those things where you’ve got to stay with it,” Perkins said. “I just lost a lot of momentum throughout that, but I’m trying to get it back.”
Schneider and Perkins hope their season can be extended beyond Thursday.
“I think as long as we all have good attitudes at regional, it will be good,” Perkins said. “Last year, I shot a 74, which is really good, and I know other guys that can go pretty low, too. But as long as we just have a good mental game, it will all be good.”
“I think with our younger guys, a lot of them are ready. We need some of the older guys shooting low,” Schneider added. “I think we’ve got a little bit of work to do, but I think when it comes time, I think we’ve got a good chance.”
